ALOO TIKKI CHOLE CHAAT

Chaat is definitely the national snack of India, a traditional street food and something which all Indians are always home sick about. Any form of chaat is full of flavour, sweet, tangy, spicy, salty, crunchy, soft and topped with various chutneys.  Aloo Tikki Chole is a very popular street food of North India. Aloo tikki chole chaat is a crispy aloo tikki dunked under the yummy chole or chickpeas gravy. The overall texture of the chat is crisp, spicy, tangy with intense herby aroma, giving Tikki Chole Chaat the perfect burst of flavores. Aloo Tikki Is made with boiled aloo, shallow fried until golden and spices and chole are cooked in spicy and flavourful gravy or curry. This aloo tikki chole chaaat is something that is filling, looks good and tastes good too. Tikki chaat can be served with different ways, just like plain aloo tikki chaat or with ragda/ peas masala as ragda pattice or like this with chole as chole tikki chaat. As the plate is loaded with chickpeas curry, patato tikki and chutneys and sev makes it more filling and a perfect satisfying meal. If you have any leftover chole masala then it only takes 20-30 minutes to serve this delicious and refreshing chole tikki chaat.   

INGREDIENTS:

For Making Aloo Tikki:

4 Large Potatoes, bolied

1 Medium size onion, chopped finely

1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

1 tablespoon Corn Flour [adjust]

1-2 tablespoon Fresh Coriander, chopped

Salt as needed

½ teaspoon Garam Masala

½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds Powder

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

1 taespoon Chaat Masala

For tempering:

1 teaspoon Oil

¼ teaspoon Asafoetida

¼ teaspoon Cumin Seeds

For Making Chhole:

1- 1 ½  Cup Chickpeas  [soaked overnight and pressure cooked]

2 Large Onion, chopped finely

3-4 Tomatoes, pureed

1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon Oil

1 Inch Cinnamon Stick

4-5 Cloves

2-3 Green Cardamoms

1 Bay Leaf

 ½ teaspoon Shahi Jeera

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds

3-4 Dry Red Kashmiri Chillies [adjust according to palate]

½ teaspoon Peppercorns

1 tablespoon Kasoori Methi

½ teaspoon Garam Masala

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

½ teaspoon Aamchur Powder

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

For tempering /tadka:

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds    

¼ teaspoon Asafoetida

1 tablespoon Oil

Other Ingredients:

Various Chutneys [ like sweet date-tamarind chutney , spicy mint chutney and hot red chilli chutney]

1 medium size onion, chopped finely

1 tomato, chopped finely

2 tablespoon chopped Coriander

½ Cup Nylon Sev [fine sev]

METHOD:

For making Aloo Tikki:

STEP 1 – Pressure cook potatoes, release the pressure and peel them off and mash them and keep aside.

 STEP 2 – Heat oil in a tempering pan and crackle cumin seeds and add asafoetida. Add chopped onion and ginger-garlic paste in it and sauté well. Cook till the raw smell disappear.

STEP 3 – When the raw smell vanished and the onion turns golden brown, turn off the flame and add this to mashed potatoes and add the spices mentioned for ALOO TIKKI

STEP 4 – If you are unable to shape the dough, you can add bread slices here. Deep them in cold water, squeeze the water and crumble them in another bowl and add them to potato mixture.

STEP 5 – Add chopped coriander, corn flour, salt and chaat masala in the potato mixture

and mix it well.

STEP 6 – Now grease your hands with little oil and take a small lemon size portion in your hand

and start shaping it like a tikki.

Keep it aside and make all the tikkies with the rest of the potato mixture. Tikki should be 1 cm thick and about 3 inch in diameter.

STEP 7 – Heat a tawa with little oil

and arrange the tikkies in a single layer and shallow fry them on low-medium flame. Flip them when done from one side and drizzle some more oil.

Cook them till you get a nice golden colour. Keep them aside.

STEP 8 – Repeat the same and cook all the tikkies and drain them on a tissue paper to remove excess oil from them.

For Making Chhole / Chickpea Curry:

STEP 1 – Soak chick peas for 7-8 hours or overnight. Pressure cook them for 4-5 whistles or until the chick peas are cooked through. Release the pressure.

STEP 2 – Drain the water from the chick peas and reserve it for the gravy.

STEP 3 – Now dry roast the whole spices on low flame till you feel a nice smell. Cool them and then transfer them to a mixer pot and make a fine powder with them. Keep the powder aside.

STEP 4 – Heat a pan, add oil in it and when it get heated add half of the chopped onion in it. Saute it well on medium flame till golden brown in colour. Add ginger-garlic paste in it and cook well for 2-3 minutes.

STEP 5 – Now transfer it to a blender jar along with the powdered masala from “STEP 3”

and grind it to a fine paste with ¼ cup water. Keep it aside.

STEP 6 – Heat pan with oil, add remaining half of the chopped onion and sauté well and cook till it turns nice golden in colour. Here you can add a pinch of salt and sugar in the onion. Salt helps to speed up the cooking and sugar helps to caramelize the onion  quickly.  

STEP 7 – Next add the ground spice powder-onion paste in it and mix it well and cook on medium flame for 3-4 minutes.

Stir it continuously until the paste becomes little dry and oil starts to separate on the edges.

STEP 8 – Add tomato puree in it and mix well. Take care as the puree splutter while cooking. Stir in the mixture well and cook for 3-4 minutes.

STEP 9 – Add turmeric powder and salt to taste and add about 2-3 cups of water in it. Mix well and cover it and cook for 4-5 minutes. Stir in between and let the gravy come to a gentle boil.

STEP 10 – Add cooked chickpeas in it, add aamchur powder and mix well.

If you find the gravy is too thick, add more water in it.

Cook the curry further to get the right consistency as per your liking. Let it simmer for 6-7 minutes on low flame for all the flavours to blend harmoniously.

How to assemble and serve:

STEP 1 – Place 2-3 aloo tikki on a serving plate. Pour 1-2 ladle full chick pea curry on it.

STEP 2 – Next drizzle a spoonful of hot red chilli chutney, sweet date-tamarind chutney and spicy mint chutney.

STEP 3 – Add a spoonful of chopped onion, chopped coriander and nylon sev on it and serve straightaway.

Enjoy the lip smacking and delicious bowl of Aloo Tikki Chhole Chaat.

NOTES:* I have shared all the chutney recipes seperately in my blog. Do check:

SWEET DATE_TAMARIND CHUTNEY:
https://kalpanaslacucina.blogspot.in/2017/12/date-tamarind-meethi-chutney.html

SPICY MINT CORIANDER CHUTNEY:
https://kalpanaslacucina.blogspot.in/2017/12/mint-coriadner-spicy-chutney-for-any.html

HOT RED CHLLI CHUTNEY: 
https://kalpanaslacucina.blogspot.in/2018/01/spicy-red-chilli-chutney.html

          
           *You can store the left over tikkies in a zip-lock bag and freeze them up to 15-20 days. When needed  remove from freezer, let them come to room temperature and then shallow fry on the tawa with little oil from both sides.

BREAD CHUM CHUM / SWEET BREAD MAWA ROLL

Chum Chum is a traditional sweet recipe and is very popular Bengali Mithai. It is prepared using fresh chena [cottage cheese/ paneer]. It looks similar to rasgulla but these are much more tastier that the conventional Rasgullas. It is a versatile dish that can be served in many variations like we can either serve them as plain garnished with nuts, or we can coat them with desiccated coconut and garnish with chopped nuts or we can serve them soaked in fresh cream / malai or we can slit them and stuff them with mawa and nuts.

 Here I prepared the last version of chum chum but there is a twist in this recipe. I used bread slice for the outer covering instead of paneer and stuffed with mawa. You can call it Bread Chum Chum or Sweet Bread Roll. It is very delicious in taste and can be easily made at home with very few ingredients.   I am sure this recipe will satisfy all your sweet cravings. You can make this for any party or gatherings or any occasion. Make it anytime and serve it to your family and friends and relish this homemade Bread Chum Chum.   

INGREDIENTS:

8-10 Bread Slices

150 gms Mawa

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Milk

¼ Cup Powder Sugar

¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder

10-12 Almonds, Cahsews and Pistachios each

3-4 tablespoon Desiccated Coconut

A pinch of Orange or Yellow Food Colour

Ghee for frying

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Cut the sides of the bread slice and keep them aside.

STEP 2 – Chop the dry fruits and keep aside.

For Sugar Sryup:

STEP 1 – Take 1 cup sugar in a vessel followed by water and put it on the fire.

STEP 2 – Cook it with stirring at intervals till the sugar get dissolved comeletely.

STEP 3 – Cook it until we get 1 string consistency. Set aside.

For the stuffing:

STEP 1 – Heat a pan and add crumbled mawa in it and roast until there is slight change in the colour and it turns fragrant.

STEP 2 – Once done, turn off the flame and transfer it in another bowl.

STEP 3 – Add food colour and dry fruits in it. Mix well.

STEP 4 – When the mawa is still warm, add powder sugar in it and give a nice mix so that it get combined with the mawa. [see notes]

STEP 5 – Stuffing is ready, divide it into small equal portions.

STEP 6 – Take one portion and roll it and shape it like shown in the picture below. Make all the stuffing balls ready. Keep aside.

For making chum chum:

STEP 1 – Take milk in a wide plate and keep ready.

STEP 2 – Now deep one bread slice in milk, take out and squeeze out the extra milk by pressing it in between your palms.  Here you need to be fast or else the bread slice will break into pieces. Don’t soak slice for a longer, only 1-2 seconds is enough.

STEP 3 – Now take a bread slice on your palm and put one stuffing ball over it.

STEP 4 – Close it from all sides to cover the stuffing by pressing it. Shape it like chum chum.

STEP 5 – Likewise, make all chum chum ready on a plate.

STEP 6 – Heat ghee in a kadai, deep fry the chum chum in ghee until golden brown in colour.

Keep the flame medium-high.[see notes]

Repeat the same and fry all the rolls.

STEP 7 – Deep fry all the chum chum and set aside. Drain excess ghee from it.

STEP 8 – Then soak them in sugar syrup for a minute or 2. Or you can keep them in syrup and boil the syrup once.

When they absorb enough syrup, remove them from syrup. Drain excess sugar syrup.

STEP 9 – Keep a plate ready with desiccated coconut.

Now lift the chum chum and roll them in desiccated coconut and coat well from all sides.

Place them on a plate.

STEP 10 – Keep or serve them as it is or cut them vertically like shown in the picture and garnish with chopped nuts.

Mouth-watering chum chum is ready to serve.

NOTES: Avoid adding sugar in hot mawa, otherwise it will melt and the stuffing will get a thin consistency and you are not be able to roll the chum chum.

While frying, make sure that the ghee is hot enough. If it is not that hot then the chum chum will absorb more ghee. If it is too hot then the chum chum will get cooked from outer side only and become hard.

While making sugar syrup, make sure that it gets one thread consistency. If the syrup is too thin then the chum chum will get soft and if it is thick then the chum chum will not be able to absorb enough sugar syrup and will not get as sweet as we want.

CHICKEN KEEMA SAMOSA

Samosa is the traditional Indian Snack, made with savory filling of spiced potatoes. Crispy samosa is simple awesome and a lovely snack which really melts the mouth of everyone. If you really want to enjoy something very tempting and irresistible, then simply have it and do not think about calories. Here comes the hot and hot chicken keema samosa for this chilly winter evening. You can preserve it for 2-3 days. Chicken mince boiled with spices and later mixed with lots of finely chopped onion, mint and coriander gives an amazing taste and aroma when filled in a samosa. Samosa itself is the most loved street food in India, and when it’s keema samosa, this famous snack just reaches to another level of deliciousness. It is a double treat for non-veg lovers. I prepared this specially for my cousin brothers who are die-hard fans of my makings.  If you want to make this delicious and perfect keema samosa t home, then please follow this step-by-step recipe. This is more convenient for you to make as all images and steps are given in detail. Try out this in your kitchen and let me know your comments about it.  Serve chicken keema samosa as a snack with coriander mint chutney and date tamarind chutney or simply enjoy it with tomato ketchup.

INGREDIENTS:

For Samosa Cover:

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

½ teaspoon Carom Seeds

2 tablespoon Oil

Salt as needed

Luke warm Water

For Making Kheema:

500 gms Minced Chicken

½ Cup Yogurt

 Salt to taste

1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

2 tablespoon Oil [as required]

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

2-3 Green Cardamoms

1 Black Cardamom

3-4 Cloves

1 Inch Cinnamon Stick

4-5 Black Peppercorns

2-3 Onions, finely chopped

1 Big Size Tomato, chopped

1 Inch Ginger piece, minced

2-3 Green Chillies, chopped

2 Dry Red Chillies [optional]

1 tablespoon Red Chilli Powder

1 tablespoon Coriander Powder

Fresh Chopped Coriander

Other Ingredients:

Oil for frying

Tomato Ketchup or Schezwan Chutney

METHOD:

For Making Kheema:

STEP 1 - Wash the minced chicken kheema under running water. Drain excess water from it.

STEP 2 – Mix minced chicken and yogurt, salt, turmeric powder and garlic paste. Keep it aside for 2-3 hours. [see notes]

STEP 3 – Heat oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and black peppercorns, dry red chillies and saute till fragrant.

STEP 4 – Add onion and sauté well for 3-4 minutes or till golden brown in colour.

STEP 5 – Add garlic-ginger paste, green chillies, chopped tomato, red chilli powder and coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, salt and sauté well.

STEP 6 – Then add chopped tomato

and cook till it becomes soft and mushy and starts leaving oil from sides.

STEP 7 – Add marinated minced chicken and cook on medium heat for 20-25 minutes.

STEP 8 – Add ½ cup water and cook till it get cooked completely.

STEP 9 – Now add Kashmiri chilli powder [optional] and mix well and cover it and cook for next 10-15 minutes. Check if the minced chicken has got cooked to perfection. Add chopped coriander in it and give a mix. Keep it aside and cool down.

For Samosa Cover:

STEP 1 – In a mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, salt, carom seeds and mix well. Heat oil in a small pan, add hot oil in the well and mix it with the flour.

STEP 2 – Add lukewarm water in it and make a soft dough with it.

STEP 3 – Cover it for 30 minutes with a damp kitchen towel.

STEP 4 – After 30 minutes, knead it and make it soft. Divide it in equal lemon size balls.

How to proceed:

STEP 1 – Take one portion, dust some flour on the rolling board and start rolling it.

STEP  2 – Roll it like a thin chapatti of about 7-8 inch diameter.

STEP 3 – Cut it with knife and make two semi circular halves.

STEP 4 – Take half and fold it as shown in the picture. Here you have to apply little water on edges to seal them. Make a cone with it.

STEP 5 – Fill the kheema inside and give a small fold at the back and apply water over the edge. 

Bring both the ends together and seal it well.

STEP 6 – Follow the same, and prepare all the samosa ready with the rest of the dough and kheema mixture.

STEP 7 – Heat oil in a kadai,

when it get heat up, slide 2-3 samosa in hot oil.

Deep fry them till golden colour and crispy from outside. Flip when done from one side and fry it on another side.

STEP 8 - Likewise, deep fry all the samosa and keep them on tissue paper or kitchen towel to drain excess oil from it. Serve hot.

Serve piping hot kheema samosa with tomato ketchup or mint chutney or any dip of your choice and enjoy. Here I served them with mint chutney and spicy, hot red chutney.

NOTES: *If making in hurry then 1 hour is also sufficient.

              *Keep the cover little bit thick so that it won’t break while stuffing masala in it.